Drive for board to direct local league | Canterbury Sport | Surfing, Rugby, Soccer, Football, Cricket in Canterbury

Local rugby league has big decisions to make on the sport's future this month.

The Canterbury Rugby League football committee has put forward plans for an appointments panel to advertise for directors for a new seven-man board to govern Canterbury league.

CRL manager Graeme Sole said the league was revisiting its constitution at present, and would probably have a special meeting before the annual meeting on March 29 "to put some governance in place."

Pressure is mounting for change after a Sparc review facilitated by Sport Canterbury scored the Canterbury league only 23 out of 100 last year for its capability.

Many followers feel the concerns highlighted in the review have not been addressed, and want to see the sort of corporate model other sports (and the NZ Rugby League) have adopted to help the sport move forward.

"The CRL football committee wants to see improvements to the governance of the CRL," said the football committee chairman Justin Wallace.

But in the end it came down to what the clubs wanted, he said.

"If we want to move forward and develop a more professional business model for the CRL, it's an opportunity for them to do that," he said of his committee's proposal.

It envisages an appointments panel that would include a CRL life member, the CRL president, a Sport Canterbury representative, and a member of the new southern zone board. This panel would advertise for seven appointed directors, three of whom would be from a league background and three from business, with the seventh from either.

As well as the Sparc review, the fact the CRL has not developed a strategic plan has dismayed some administrators.

NZRL CEO Jim Doyle was in Christchurch at the weekend to tell club representatives about the national body's strategic plan and new zonal model.

Sparc announced a three-year, $3m investment in the sport (which will be funded through the seven new zones) last week.

However, Doyle was believed to be disappointed Canterbury, the second biggest district, had the worst turnout he's had for his travelling "road show".

Softball NZ chairman Rex Capil, of Invercargill, is to be chairman of the southern zone that takes in Canterbury.